Master of the court

would tottally agree on your post Rob, well written, and puts most of the ' why we dont like samui ' into prospective

Ta duck - but I would add one little extra, and it's a highly personal note - there's a certain breed of ExPat here that makes my flesh crawl. Not wanting to single out tattooed post office robbers from Essex (I've met a couple of pleasant ones) there is a whole strata of mid-to-late 30s people, all of when seem to be from the same mould, shaved heads, lots of tats, loud when drunk, coarse, belligerent, overbearing and usually each with a tiny and stilettoed mini-skirted Thai girl in tow. And they all seem to collect together in one set of bars and all knock around in bunches together. And they are usually the ones seen wandering around Tesco in their swimwear, in groups or with lady attached.

Things like beaches, construction, bars, roads and all the rest - to my mind - are distracting. There are good and iffy ones in every town. What makes a place precious is the beauty of it (Samui has it in spades), the climate (ditto) and the day-to-day interaction with the other people around. All other aspects are knitted into these basics and either make the overall experience better or worse.

But nobody's talked about balance, yet!

Put it this way. I HATE the roads and the way people drive here. I hate it when Thais in a group refer to you as 'the farang' instead of using your name. I despair at the bewildering way that Thai logic works and they way they can never admit to being wrong. I detest needing to have to make any kind of appointment here. I'm ashamed that the police system is what it is and there is no access to a legal system unless you are a millionaire. There are probably another 50 reasons why I hate this place, if I sat and spent a week noting them all down.

And then I look at the complete freedom to whack up a house or garage or shed without months of inspections paperwork and permissions. To be able to shrug sheepishly and say "sorry officer, it was my fault" knowing I can then get it over with instantly with a fine. I'm overjoyed that my car doesn't need a microscopic test every year which costs me thousands to keep it on the road if I can afford the staggering insurance rates. I love the location, the climate, the mountain, the beach, the sand and the sea and the fluffy clouds. I am free to let off fireworks to express my appreciation. I adore the handful of genuinely lovely Thai people I know and politely keep away from those with an evil glitter in their eyes. I treasure the few ExPat friends I have (all of them totally different from me as far as background, education and work goes, but each of them considerate, open-minded and informed). I really appreciate the standard of care at the (Ampur) hospital in Nathon and the low cost of it. And I worship the overall cost of living in Thailand - I'd be renting a one-room bedsit back in England.

And then the balance happens. It's like two lovers who make out a list of good and bad points about each other. There are a hundred things they don't like and only a handful they do like. But they stay together because all the negative things are vastly outweighed by the three or four good bits. And that's me and Samui.

And that's why I'm still here after 13 years!

R

Good one Rob,

I think another problem is all the Burmese people who work everywhere..........they are not like Thais and it just feel so wrong, when I think about all the Thais on the mainland who could have the Burmese jobs.

More and more restaurant also employ them now, just dont get it !!!!!

in Chaweng lake. Some rescuers are at the scene right now near the Reggae Bar .

I will send you more updates later.

It's fine...

It only applies to straight marriages. The sexpats can just marry an eighteen year old boy instead of an eighteen year old girl.

Fifteen bottles of Heineken and they feel the same anyway...

Ha Ha 1st of April

Just wonder why so many rocks are all over Samui ?? I mean they dont look like the just broke of from the mountains so how did they get there and why are they spread out on mush higher places ??

So many houses are build in between those huge rocks and I always wonder what people are thinking about when they pick such a plot ?? Now look at the two big rocks that ended up on the road between Chaweng and Lamai , they would have crushed anything on their way down........

It could be interesting for an update of rockslides from around the Island

I will ask the Chang rep when he next comes into the bar for you. I was offered a couple for free when we first opened the bar so will see if this offer still stands

Any news about about the beer tower ??

where are you and when are you flying?

Im in Japan now.............my worries is the Fukushima plant !! So the thing is , to apply for a tourist visa I need to show tickets what I dont have since Im checking the situation day by day . I hope , it will not be necessary to fly out now, but I need to have a plan.

I cant pick up the tourist visa the same day and its also only possible to apply in the morning. They also write that I need papers from my daughters school ???? for her to get a visa .

Anyway, what you guys are saying is that its possible to first get the 30 days on arrival if I change our return tickets within the 30 days, then before the 30 expire we can fly to Penang and get a tourist visa ?? wonder what papers I need to bring then ?? since its only my daughter and I ........... I think there is something about both parents have to sign some papers ???

Cheers

If I just get the 30 days on arrival, where can I extend it the best way........I need to stay for 2,5 Month.

Also my ticket wil be a 3 Month open, will that be a problem ?

:jap:

I will ask the Chang rep when he next comes into the bar for you. I was offered a couple for free when we first opened the bar so will see if this offer still stands

Hi there,

Thank you so much, I dont mind to pay some for the trouble. Pls. pm me you can get them.

:jap:

Oops forgot to say that if someone else also can help me out , I will be interested to buy a few more for my home in EU, so pls. pm me.

Cheers

I will ask the Chang rep when he next comes into the bar for you. I was offered a couple for free when we first opened the bar so will see if this offer still stands

Hi there,

Thank you so much, I dont mind to pay some for the trouble. Pls. pm me you can get them.

:jap:

Hi there, sorry to bother you, but Im interested to buy 2 of the chang beer towers I have seen around the Island. There is a chamber for Ice cubes in the middle to keep the beer cool, but without getting mixed with the beer.

Would it be possible to order through you ? I know they sell them online for around 46 Euro (also Im not sure if its the one with the ice cube chamber), but maybe its possible to get them much more cheap through your Chang salesman ??

Its only for private party use,

Pls. pm me if you can help.

Cheers

Thats a big freaking Quake. I noticed my rabbit, Mr. Hoppy McSpudbuck, was acting strange during the time of the shaking and he's in Bangkok .

Im in Kobe, we got some rolls but non of the big scary shakes..........anyway same date at the big on in kobe years back

you might consider being scammed, when you buy a few drinks for a lady and when you get her home.....she's got a bigger one than you

:cheesy:

Im trying to find a smart dinnerware set

dinnerset IQ above or below 120?

So whats your problem ?? We are not all native English speakers on TV !!! Maybe its your IQ we should worry about .........Sketcher had no problem understanding my question !!

Btw. thanks Sketcher, I will check it out :jap:

Im trying to find a smart dinnerware set . Anyone have idea where I should have a look ?? hopefully on the Island but would appreciate any links from Thailand you can pm me.

Now, pls. dont recommend Tesco,Homepro and so on.................

Cheers

Hi there,

Will be on Samui at the end of April for 2 weeks and would like to play tennis at Bangrak tennis club but need a partner(s)

Badminton, squash partners also welcome to write me a pm.

:jap:

Well, if any fish can survive Chaweng lake, then dont touch it :cheesy:

So a fight starts in a bar, and now you wanna blame the bar ????? get a life !!!

If you wanna say something negative about Ark bar or Cheweng beach by night , then it should all be about all the danger from the fireworks that all stupid drunks can buy for nothing, then they stick the DRY wood down in the WET sand and BOOOOOM in their faces or who ever is around. That should be banned !!!

One of his guests has a bottle smashed over his head and another has their wallet and credit cards lifted and you don't think its worthy of mention. Then you fly off on one about fireweorks.

Yup, anyway smashed bottle over the head a stolen wallet, sounds like the Aussies had a go with the ladieboys

So a fight starts in a bar, and now you wanna blame the bar ????? get a life !!!

If you wanna say something negative about Ark bar or Cheweng beach by night , then it should all be about all the danger from the fireworks that all stupid drunks can buy for nothing, then they stick the DRY wood down in the WET sand and BOOOOOM in their faces or who ever is around. That should be banned !!!

as said previously, if you have an iphone 3G or 3GS it's possible to update to the ipad baseband to get the unlock available again however starting from 4.2.1 you won't be able to return to stock firmare 4.2.1.

if you have an iphone 2G then you're stuck to 3.1.3 and baseband will be very easy to unlock and the phone to be activated.

personnaly the iphone 3GS i got was already updated to 4.1 and it's running perfectly(minus hardware gps) with the ipad baseband.

let me know if you need a help.

Thanks M8, I didnt bring my computer this time to Samui, so I wasnt able to do any of the recommended, however I went to Banana IT next to Tesco, they fixed it (its a 2G , now upgraded to 3.1.3 like you wrote) within 1 hour for 500 Bht. BUT I lost all adresses etc.

Cheers

does sound like a problem with updating the firmware. hope the mods keep in mind that unlocking the iphone is not illegal. pretty much any model of iphone can upgrade to the most current firmware version and in many cases is done so automatically and unnoticed via itunes. if your iphone was factory unlocked you wouldn't need any original sim card.

Yeah, I used Itunes for upgrading.....but with a bad result......Guess I have to wait, like GmB said. Just pretty bad, since all my contacts ONLY are on the phone ( yes I know , I should have syncronized first )

Before there was a guy in Tesco who could unlock Iphones etc. is he still around ?

Sorry to tell you but i am afraid that if your Iphone is not factory unlocked and you upgraded to the latest firmware there is not much you can do at the moment.

You will have to wait for the release of the unlock for the 4.2.1 firmware but there is not an ETA at the moment.

Your data should be anyway all there and not lost.

Thanks, it is the first Iphone model, I bought it on Ebay unlocked, but not sure if its factory unlocked ?? anyway I dont think the first model can upgrade to 4.2.1 ? I think it can only go up to about 3.?

Any chance of someone on the Island can fix that problem ?

Cheers

and all was going well, when I got a message in the end that the sim card (prepaid) was not supported and I need to insert the sim card that came with the phone (what I dont have ) so now all data is lost on the phone, F.ck !!

Anyone who can help me ?? hopefully tomorrow, pls. pm me.

Thanks

hello and happy holidays. your best bet might be to spend an hour on the web looking at the websites of various 4 and 5 star hotels. since they will have nearly full occupancy over the holiday they will almost certainly have events planned for the children of their guests, yet they may be open to non-guests as well. good luck and i hope you have fun and enjoy the holidays.

Thanks Joe,

I think what my daughter is trying to say is, that we already went to different hotels parties, and its boring for her, so she hope to find some friends from Blue Water etc. who lives on the Island, so they can meet each time she is on the Island and specially this coming Holidays. If they have any new ideas for what to do on X-mas etc.

She would love to meet friends at our house, there house or at the beach during her Holidays.

Cheers

Hi there,

Just borrowed my dads username for this topic.

Im a girl (12) looking for friends from Dec. 18th to Jan 9 th. I also come many other times to Samui, since my Parents have a house there.

I would also like to know where its good to tell my Parents to bring me for X-mas eve and New Years eve..........I already seen many Thai traditonal dance shows , so something more fun , please with more kids in my age......would love to dance, party (no alcohol, of course ).

Please pm to my dad , if you like to meet or please reply to here, if you just have good ideas where to go !!

Merry X-mas

Here is one post:

Posted 2010-01-20 08:48

I,ve not read all the thread, but wish to imput the latest news re a 5 year renewal I was given yesterday for anyone who may wish to check it out at their nearest DL office.

I telephoned the local D.L. office at AEK Udonthani to check out the timing for renewal of my 5 year licence which is due while I,m back in the U.K.

They informed me I could apply up to ninety days prior to it,s expiry date or up to one year after.

I double checked what I was being told and they confirmed the above criteria.

They also confirmed they take your photo themselves and the new licence is a credit card type, which is good news and more user friendly than my last one.

marshbags

More discussion HERE.

Thanks.....but the link doesnt work !

:jap: